1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to fruit and vegetable decorative carving devices; and more particularly to a devices and kits for carving, sculpting and decorating fruits and vegetables by carving decorative patterns in the fleshy shell or skin.
2. Related Art
Carving or sculpting fruits and vegetables having a fleshy outer skin or rind has long been known. Cucumbers, apples, cantaloupe, watermelons, gourds, to name a few, are turned into ornamental center pieces by use of carving artistry. The finer dining establishments employ such techniques to enhance the "presentation" of their cuisine.
Likewise, pumpkin carving has long been one of the several ways in which Halloween is celebrated. Traditionally, pumpkin carving involves the removal of a portion of the pumpkin shell surrounding the stem, removal of the seeds and fibers contained in the pumpkin and carving humourous, grotesque or other decorative features in the pumpkin shell by sculpting and then removing fleshy portions of the shell to obtain the desired appearance. Internal illumination can be provided, either by a candle or by a battery operated light to enhance the effect. This illumination results in a glowing decorative pattern.
In the past, pumpkin carving was typically accomplished through the use of pocket knives, paring knives and the like. Due to the size of these cutting instruments though, the typical carver was only able to obtain crude decorative features. Since the cutting knives used in pumpkin carving are difficult to control, any attempt at carving detailed or intricate design features "free hand" usually met with disappointment, since the carver often unintentionally removed portions of the pumpkin shell which destroyed the design and thus, the appearance.
The development of carved pumpkin designs has become a burgeoning commercial enterprise. One innovation was the use of small hand-held saws and spiral drill bits to produce intricately and exotically carved pumpkins. Later patterns were printed on tissue, or similar material, and then affixed to the outer skin by means of for example, tacks or nails. The carver then tried to cut along the design on the paper pattern, simultaneously cutting the skin of the pumpkin. This system has obvious draw backs. First, the patterns tend to tear as the knife is inserted. Second, the pumpkin juice soaks the material causing it to deform and tear. Third, it is difficult to gauge the depth of the incision required to penetrate through the meat of the pumpkin to its inner core.
There are many attempts in the prior art to provide appropriate forms, designs and tools for carving and decorating fruits and vegetables. U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,114 shows a pumpkin carving kit, with carving implements that are used with templates to form a design. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,296,659 and 3,965,574 disclose cutting devices designed to form a jack-o-lantern. U.S. Pat. No. 4,365,415 shows a device for cutting melons.